Staying the Course

Geof Wood's 'Staying the Course' reflects on his nearly five decades of involvement with Bangladesh, capturing the dilemmas of an academic deeply engaged in the processes of development and change through roles spanning pure research, policy making, and activism. The book aims to convey the complexities of such engagement beyond the written page, exploring the continuous interaction between his exposure to the lives of the poor across the country and those designing poverty alleviation strategies, whether as powerholders or through mobilisation to challenge such powerholders on issues of governance and respect. Wood reveals how he was drawn into these challenges and the associated tensions between political management and the freedoms pursued by civil society, prompting reflection on the deep structures of society. He concludes by questioning whether the fragility of institutions witnessed in Bangladesh helps his antennae to identify similar fragility in his own society.